We have arrived in Kosovo on a cold, cold afternoon dreading the freezing temperatures that will our reality for the month of December. A dreary grey smog hangs low and heavy over Pristina, the nation’s capital. The worn streets and buildings are a shadow of a past that will not be soon forgotten. We drive past the intersection of Clinton and Bush, an amusing signpost pointing towards how Kosovo’s history has been shaped by the United States.
We finally arrive at the church and our hosts from Fellowship of the Lord’s People Church welcome us warmly, ushering us into a heated office and offering us hot tea and coffee. The peace, joy and vibrancy inside the church is almost the complete opposite to what lies just outside its walls. The Lloyd’s Peppermint tea becomes my drink of choice for the rest of our time in Kosovo, occasionally switching things up with Forest Fruits if I’m feeling adventurous. The holiday season has begun.
Although our ministry in Kosovo was originally intended to be Operation Christmas Child, the church had decided to take a year break to re-evaluate the efficacy of the program. Fellowship of the Lord’s People almost single handedly organizes the collection, storage and distribution of Christmas shoe boxes in all of Kosovo. Their church has diligently stewarded millions of shoe-boxes over many years so the break was long overdue to regroup and refocus.
Instead of OCC, we spent our month getting to know the various facets of the church and working with many of the church staff. We worked with the NGO the church oversees called Houses of Hope, which are community centres that provide skills training, education and youth meetings. The church also runs a thrift store chain called Mosaic which provides some funding for Houses of Hope. So we helped empty out a storage container and sort clothes as well as volunteer at the pre-school run by the pastor’s wife.
I loved all of our scheduled ministry but was pleasantly surprised to discover that my favourite ministry was actually encouraging and bringing lift to our hosts. We developed sweet friendships with all of our hosts over countless tea and coffee dates, learning about their stories, the persecution they have faced and the risk they have taken to become Christians.
I was so honoured by how our hosts allowed us to see into their lives and struggles, their hopes and dreams. Many of them were fairly close to us in age and I was blown away by their maturity, excellent stewardship of their ministries and their passion for the Lord. The church staff is so much more than colleagues, they are family. They love and challenge one another like family and they made us feel right at home.
Our hosts encouraged us and prayed for us and blessed us in ways we could’t even have imagined. Outside of the church walls, the spiritual climate is harsh and unforgiving in Kosovo, so many of our hosts find peace, comfort, rest and family within the church. When I think about the staff at Fellowship of the Lord’s People I can only think of one word – fortitude. A deep perseverance, with a constant yes on their lips for what the Lord calls them to.
